05.31.2013 Staff
At one time, companies viewed merely being engaged in social media as risky. Now, for most companies, social media has become an essential part of their marketing efforts. But there are still a lot of social media ideas that most companies are afraid to try. However, flouting convention can sometimes pay off in a big way for brands. From the Hubspot Blog, here are ten risky social media moves, and examples of companies pulling them off.
Make a Joke in B2B Marketing
While businesspeople have a staid reputation, remember that everyone likes to laugh. IMPACT Branding has demonstrated that as long as your jokes aren't in poor taste and you know your audience's sense of humor, B2B readers will appreciate the levity.
Joke about Your Boring Industry
GE's Pinterest account shows how a "boring" industry can still be funny. It also helps put their industry into terms anyone can understand.
Allow Feedback
Social media allows people a public forum to air their grievances. That scares a lot of companies, but others proactively open the feedback floodgates. The company UncommonGoods solicits feedback in a way (requiring an email address) that allows them to convert social media followers into leads.
Share Competitor Content
Hubspot has shown a willingness to give credit to worthy competitors. One social media post for a competitor won't cause your customers to abandon you.
Let Employees Get Social
The more people you have sharing content in social media, the more your reach will grow. Best Buy has a Twitter account managed by over 3,000 Best Buy employees who are free to share content as they see fit.
Let Users Upload Content
More than 8 in 10 millennials think user-generated content indicates brand quality, and influences their purchases. ModCloth gets insight into the interests of their target audience by allowing them to post to their Pinterest board.
Give Away Your Secrets
"How-to" and "do-it-yourself" content typically performs well in every inbound marketing channel. Molly Maid gives away home cleaning tips, knowing that customers still want the bulk of the work to be left to a professional.
Take a Stance
Nabisco's posted a in support of gay pride on Oreo's Facebook page. While there were plenty of detractors, there was also an enormous movement of supporters.
Post Unrelated Content
Don't let your social media posts become stale, lifeless and predictable. Custom jewelry designer Jane Font Jewelry Designs occasionally posts updates just to show the brand's personality.
Show Up on Pinterest
Pinterest gives you a way to make your product visual, even if it's not an inherently beautiful product. Vacuum cleaner company Oreck uses Pinterest to tie their brand to something visually exciting.
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